Conveyer



May 3, .1938.

w. J. BOHN 2,115,762

CONVEYER Filed Oct. 25, 1936 Sheets-Sheet l May 3, 1938.

w. J; BOHN 2,115,762

GONVEYER Filed Oct. 25, 1936 zsheets-sheet 2 Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE C'ONVEYER Application October 23, 1936, Serial No. 107,125

8 Claims.

This invention relates principally to conveyers of the drag chain type wherein the articles are carried along by the moving chain. The principal object of the present invention is to provide for the automatic transfer or removal of the articles from conveyers of this type. Other objects are to control the operation of the transfer mechanism by means of the article being transferred and to provide for strength, durability, simplicity 10 and economy of construction. The invention consists in the conveyer and in the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a conveyer equipped with an article removing or transferring mechanism embodying my invention;

20 Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the conveyer in the region of said transfer mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the portion of the 25 conveyer shown in Fig. 2, the transfer mechanism being shown in inoperative position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View similar to Fig. 4, showing the transfer mechanism in operative position;

30 Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section on the line 66 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a similar cross section on the line 1-1 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the pusher supporting carriage; and

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of said carriage.

In the accompanying drawings, my invention is illustrated in connection witha conveyer comprising an endless drag chain A and a suitable sup- 4() porting framework B for guideways l and 2 for slidably supporting the respective upper and lower runs or reaches of said chain. Said chain comprises main article supporting links 3 alternating with connecting links 4. Each main link 45 3 has a fiat bottom portion 5 with a bearing surface suitable for sliding on the upper guideway l and a top portion 6 with a bearing surface suitable for sliding on the middle portion 2a of the lower guideway 2 when said link is in inverted 50 position. The top portion 6 of the link 3 has horns l alongside of its bearing surface that extend upwardly far enough in the upright position of said link to support a keg or similar article C thereof clear of said bearing surface. In 55 the inverted position of the link 3, the horns 1 thereof straddle the raised middle portion 2a of the lower guideway 2 without touching. Each connecting link 4 is substantially U-shaped in plan and is loosely shackled to one adjacent main link 3 through an opening 9 therein with its open end straddling the end of the other adjacent main link and horizontally pivoted thereto by means of a. pin l0. Said connecting link is also provided with outstanding bosses II that surround the pivot pin and are adapted for coopera- 10 tion with a sprocket wheel (not shown) for driving the endless conveyer chain.

By the arrangement described, the barrel C is rolled or otherwise positioned on the upper run of the conveyer chain A and settles down endwise thereon with its curved under surface resting on the opposing end of the upwardly diverging horns l of two adjacent links 3, which horns afford support for said barrel at four separate points thereof clear of the bearing surfaces therebelow with the center of gravity located between such points. The conveyer construction thus far described is more fully set forth in the application of Roy R. Worrall, Serial No. 9,173, filed March 4, 1935.

In accordance with the present invention, the above conveyer is provided with a mechanism for effecting the transfer or removal of the barrels C therefrom at a predetermined point along the length thereof. This transfer mechanism comprises a carriage D mounted for sliding movement longitudinally of the conveyer on a slideway made up of spaced parallel angle irons l2 suitably secured to the framework B of the conveyer just below the upper guideway l thereof. The carriage comprises a bottom plate l3 slidable on the angle irons l2 beneath the upper guideway I and having upstanding guide flanges I4 disposed alongside of said guideway. The carriage D is provided on one side of said upper guideway with an upwardly and inwardly inclined slideway I5 adapted to receive a push plate Hi. This pusher I6 is provided at its lower end with a roller l1 and at its upper end with a head portion l8 that is shaped to fit the bilge of a barrel 0. The roller H at the lower end of the pusher I6 travels along a cam track [9 that is secured to and extends longitudinally of the conveyer frame B and. is offset upwardly, as at 20, so as to slide said pusher upwardly in the inclined slideway 15 on the carriage when the latter moves in the direction of travel of the upper stretch of the chain A and causes said roller to engage the upwardly offset portion of said cam track.

Pivoted for vertical swinging movement on outstanding horizontal pivots 2| provided therefor on opposite sides of the carriage D are arms 22 that extend forwardly alongside of the carriage in the direction of the travel of the upper stretch of the chain and terminate in upwardly inclined free end portions that are connected by a cross bar 23 located above said upper stretch. The cross bar 23 is normally held clear of the conveyer chain and in the path of the barrels by means of a weight 24 fixed to a rearward extension 220, of one of the arms 22, the upward swinging movement of said cross bar being limited by a pin 25 fixed to the carriage and adapted to be engaged by said extension. The carriage is yieldably held in its normal or retracted position against upright members 26 of the conveyer frame by means of helical tension springs 21 having one end fixed to the pivots 2| for the arms 22 and the other end fixed to a bracket 28 secured to said frame rearwardly of said pivot. When a barrel C reaches the transfer mechanism, the convexly curved underside of its forward end portion presses against the cross bar 23 and gradually forces said bar downwardly into the path of the upstanding horns I of one of the main links 3 of the chain; and the pressure of said horns against said cross bar causes the carriage D to move with the chain against the tension of the carriage retracting springs 21. This movement of the carriage causes the roller I! at the end of the pusher [6 to roll upwardly along the upwardly inclined portion of the cam track 19 and thus force the upper end l8 of said bar against the side of the barrel and thus roll the same off the conveyer. As the barrel, when in engagement with the cross bar 22, holds said bar in engagement with the chain, the removal of said barrel permits said bar to swing upwardly clear of the chain; whereupon, the carriage is returned to its original position by the retracting springs 21. The barrel may be transferred to another conveyor 29 or chute shown in Fig. 1, or it may simply remove the article from the conveyer.

Obviously, the hereinbefore described conveyer admits of considerable modification without departing from the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. In a conveyer having a conveying element, mechanism for removing articles from the moving conveying element comprising a carriage movable longitudinally of said element, a member movably mounted on said carriage and extending into the path of the articles on said element, said member being adapted to be moved into engagement with said element by the pressure of an article thereagainst and to be disengaged from said element when such pressure is released, and a member movably mounted on said carriage and actuated by the movement of said carriage with said element to remove said article from said element.

2. In a conveyer having a conveyer chain, mechanism for removing articles from the moving conveyer chain comprising a carriage movable longitudinally of said chain, a member movably mounted on said carriage and extending into the path of the articles on said chain, said member being adapted to be moved into engagement with said chain by the pressure of an article thereagainst and to be disengaged from said chain when such pressure is released, a member movably mounted on said carriage and actuated by the movement of said carriage with said chain to remove said article from said chain, and

means for automatically returning said carriage to its orginal position upon disengagement of said first mentioned member from said chain.

3. In a conveyer having a conveyer chain having longitudinally spaced upstanding article supporting portions, mechanism for removing articles from the moving conveyer chain comprising a carriage movable longitudinally of said chain, a member movably mounted on said carriage and extending across said chain into the path of the articles thereon, said member being pivotally secured to said carriage for movement by the pressure of an article against said member into the path of the upstanding article supporting portions of said chain to thereby cause said carriage to move with said chain, and a member movably mounted on said carriage and adapted to be actuated by the movement of said carriage with said chain to push said article oif said chain,

4. In a conveyer having a conveyer chain having longitudinally spaced upstanding article supporting portions, mechanism for removing articles from the moving conveyer chain comprising a carriage movable longitudinally of said chain, a member movably mounted on said carriage and extending across said chain into the path of the articles thereon, said member being pivotally secured to said carriage for movement by the pressure of an article against said member into the path of the upstanding article supporting portions of said chain to thereby cause said carriage to move with said chain, a member movably mounted on said carriage and adapted to be actuated by the movement of said carriage with said chain to push said article off said chain, and means for automatically disengaging said pivoted member from said chain upon the removal of the article therefrom.

5. In a conveyer having a conveyer chain having longitudinally spaced upstanding article supporting portions, mechanism for removing articles from the moving conveyer chain comprising a carriage movable longitudinally of said chain, a member movably mounted on said carriage and extending across said chain into the path of the articles thereon, said member being pivotally secured to said carriage for movement by the pressure of an article against said member into the path of the upstanding article supporting portions of said chain to thereby cause said carriage to move with said chain, a member movably mounted on said carriage and adapted to be actuated by the movement of said carriage with said chain to push said article off said chain, means for automatically disengaging said pivoted member from said chain upon the removal of the article therefrom, and means for automatically returning said carriage to its original position upon the disengagement of said pivoted member from said chain.

6. In a conveyer having a conveyer chain, mechanism for removing articles from the moving chain comprising a carriage movable longitudinally of said chain, a member pivotally secured to said carriage and having a portion extending across said chain into the path of said articles and movable into engagement with said chain by the pressure of an article against said portion to cause said carriage to move with said chain, and a pusher mounted on said carriage at one side of said chain and adapted to be actuated by the movement of said carriage with said chain to push the article ofi the other side of said chain.

7. In a conveyer having a conveyer chain, mechanism for removing articles from the moving chain comprising a carriage movable longitudinally of said chain, a member pivotally secured to said carriage and having a portion extending across said chain into the path of said articles and movable into engagement with said chain by the pressure of an article against said portion to cause said carriage to move with said chain, a pusher slidably mounted on said carriage for movement transversely of said chain into engagement with said article, a cam for actuating said pusher, means for automatically disengaging said pivoted member from said chain upon the removal of said article, and means for automatically returning said carriage to its original position upon the disengagement of said pivoted member from said chain.

8. In a conveyer having a conveyer chain, mechanism for removing articles from the moving chain comprising a carriage movable longitudinally of said chain, a member pivotally secured to said carriage and having a portion extending across said chain into the path of said articles and movable into engagement with said chain by the pressure of an article against said. portion to cause said carriage to move with said chain, said carriage being provided on one side of said chain with a slideway that inclines upwardly in the direction of said chain, a pusher plate mounted in said slideway, a roller on the lower end of said pusher, a stationary cam track for said roller adapted and arranged to move said pusher plate into engagement with said article and push the latter off said chain during the movement of said carriage therewith, means for automatically disengaging said pivoted member from said chain upon removal of said article, and springs for returning said carriage to its original position upon the release of said pivoted member from said chain.

WILLIAM J. BOI-IN. 

